Spring is in the air at Anglesey Abbey just a week after the ground was covered by snow.

The wintry weather forced gardeners at the stately home, near Lode, to postpone the opening of their Snowdrop Festival until Monday.

The little white flowers are now flourishing and the first crocuses, irises and aconites could start to appear next week.

Richard Todd, head gardener, said: “The snowdrops are popping up thick and fast at the moment as they love the sunshine.

“The snow has not hurt them in any way. They are tough little things.”

Snowdrops, officially known as Galanthus – Greek for “milk flower” – can be traced to southern Russia, Turkey and southern Europe and are believed to have been introduced into Britain in Elizabethan times.

Richard said the cold snap meant the flowering period may last a few weeks longer, into March. He added: “It’s starting to look a lot more like spring.”

And on the Backs in Cambridge, yellow aconites are flowering, much to the admiration of passers-by.

Stephen Elstub, head gardener at Clare College, said their parent plants would be at The Avenue at Clare or St John’s College Wilderness, where they grow in huge numbers.

He said: “They will have escaped out and the seeds will have self sown, which means it has blown out and nestled on the Backs.”

They might have appeared earlier if the snow had not struck. And he told people to watch out for the crocus Tricolor along the Backs towards the end of February.

Stephen said: “Now is a really great time for plants and for gardeners too, although it is still mid winter, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

Met Office forecasters say they expect the warm spell to last for the rest of the week, with temperatures remaining above freezing until Sunday.

The Snowdrop Festival at Anglesey Abbey runs until February 24, from 10am-4.30pm daily with tours at 2pm on weekdays.

Tickets cost £7.05 for adults, £3.75 for children and £18.85 for a family ticket. National Trust members enter free.